The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1887-03-12

| Lcssou M 81 tue iuterHasiouht 'ef'es wv
| Sunday, March i3-TeSt Of tho Lesson,
Gen. xviii. iO-as-Golden Test, Gen.
| xviii, 10.
Isaac-In due time Isaac was married, and
had two sons The story Of his life shows
what blessings came 10 him from Gods cove
nant with his father, Abraham. The angel
! Of Jehovah went before him, ami caused his
way 10 prosper, His marriage with Rebekah,
however, introduced into the family those
distinctive traits Of sharpness and commercial
thrift which characterize the Jews 10 day.
| Jacob and ESau-lsaac's som were twins.
Tho first Esau, impulsive, generous and fond
Of the chase, was his fathers fayorite. The
second, crafty, polite and keeper at home,
was beloved Of his mother.
In those times, as is the case now in some
countries the first born son enjoyed special
privileges. This was prominently the case
not only because the eldest son became chief
Of his clan, but also because the blessings Of
the covenant were especially his
Eau one day, when very hungry, becoming
q slave Of his appetite, sold his hirthright 70
his brother for mess OF po'tage. While we
must characterize this act Of Jacob, IN taking
advantage Of Esau's hunger 10 buy his birth
right, as tho height of meanncss and most
unbrotherly. We must say that man who
would sell his brthright for an appetizing
dish, even when hungry, was not fit to have
| il compare Gen. XIV, "a Heb, xii, In and
20 he an heir Of the noble promises made 10
Abraham.
SO, too Rebekah'S device for Jacob TO So
! cure the blessing which belonged Ia Eau as
the elder son was contemplate Gen. xvii,
SO While Jacob objected, Il was simply
because he feared that his father would dis
! cover the deception Nevertheless, Jacob was
far superior to Esau in his natural traits, for
he possessed force Of character and worthy
ambition, while his brother was OF that good
hearted, careless temperament which not only
makes a young man an easy prey to his pas
| sions, but also to temptations from without.
The subsequent history shows that God did
not approve nj all Of these acts Of Jacob in
! getting the advantage of E,au. and punished
! him severely for his deception 10y twice
making him the victim Of deception in hi
own faTlily.
But Jacob was the child of the covenant
| The rich blessings which God had promised
) 10 Abraham was to be his. Even Isaac recog
nled this fact, and gave him his benedicton
before he left. The wonderful history of
Gods special guidance of his chosen people
AID Of their proGenitors is illustrated in the
lesson which follows. and we shall see how
God causes all things TO work together for
gcod TO these that love him Rom viii, 2s).
THE LESSON.
Jacobs Flight w. Lotto avoid the mur
derous revenge of Esau. Jacob was compelled
to leave his home, Besrsheba. He started,
therefore, Tor Haran in Mesopotamia, where
Abraham had once lived when on his way
from Ur 10 the promised land that he might
have an asylum from his brother, and that he
might find n wife who would he in religious
sympathy with him. 1t was trying thing
for him. as it is for every young man, thus to
! leave home.
The Ladder Tvs. II l5)-Bu, his fathers
| God was with him. although he seems TO have
been unconscious of his near presence.
He lay down TO sleep at a certain place,
and as he slept he dreamed He saw a lad
der extending from heaven 10 earth, and the
angels Of God ascending and descending upon
it. While he gazed with wonder, Jehovah
himself stood beside him Revised Version,
margin: compare Gen. xviii, q, and, tell
ing him that he was the God of Abraham,
his father, and of Isaac, he repeated the
promise already made TO Abraham-that his
descendants should occupy the land, that
they should have a wonderful increase, and
that in him as the head Of the family, and in
his seed. which was finally TO eliminate in
the Messiah oil the nations of the earth were
TO lie blessed. He also added the precious
assurance that he was with him, would keep
him whithcisoever he might 60, and would
bring him back again to the promised land.
WHY Was Jacob Afraidi Tvs. l6, l,l--The
sleep from which Jacob awoke was natural
sleep. but the dream was sent by God him
self TO comfort his servant His first sensa-
ton when no realized that God was in the
place was that of fear This could only come
from sense of his sinfulness In this respect
his experience was like that OF Isaiah lisa
vi, ;, and Peter duke v, q. Like Abra'
ham, he hah not vet clearly g,asped the
truth that God was every where; 50 that when
he realizes that God is attending him, he feels
his unworthincss. To his very incomplete
religious experience the place where God had
been seemed dreadful The thought that he
hnd been in Gods house and at the very gate
Of heaven inspired him with awe.
Bethel Tvs IS, l9-The stone which he had
put under his head on going to rest he raises
up as n pillar in commemoration OF the
event. and pOurs the oil Of conservation on
it, After such all experience he gives the
place new name Bethel, or house Of God
It was quite in accord with the Oriental way
of giving names that he should embody one
of the most solemn experiences of his life III
name and it was natural that one who was
to lie possessor OF the land should begin tC
give the places distinctive designation.
Jacobs Vow Tvs. 20-22)-Even Jacobs vow
is characteristic. He sees the advantage OF
having Gods protection and help, and pro u
ises that. if God will bless him, he will give
him tenth of all that he has. The Scripture
does not commend Jacob as an example in
this unspiritual view Of his relation to God
Really he seeks TO make a bargain with God
as ne would with q powerful man. He evi
IDENTIFY had not learned that all that he pos
seSscd belonged to God.
From this passage, as well as from the &C
count Of the 1.-THE which Abraham gave tC
Mechsedek Gen. xiv 20l, 1t is evident tina,
two of the patriarchs, at least, ON one OF
more occasions gave tenth Of what they had
10 God. Their descendants Deut xiv, ~, etc.
afterward followed the same custom. 1t Is
nften argued from these examples that we
should give q tenth of our income to TOD
L. -.